Known as Sudan’s ‘Kind of Jazz’, Ahmed was born in Omdurman in 1935. He is one of the most distinctive voices to have emerged out of Sudan. His repertoire includes a motley collection of arias, ballads, reggae, jazz and traditional Sudanese songs. He has a genius for instrumental combinations and for improvisation. He has a voice capable of conveying deep feeling. He pours out his heart in a stream of gorgeous sounds. Ahmed entered the kuttab (Quranic school) at the age of four. He was later sent to Babiker Badri, the first public school in Sudan, and matriculated from Al-Madrassa Al-Abbasiya,

another distinguished colonial school. Ahmed grew up in Al-Obeid, capital of Kordofan Province, western Sudan, and eventually enrolled at Khartoum College of Fine Arts where he studied graphic design. After graduation, he joined the Ministry of Education as an illustrator of textbooks, a job that gave him the opportunity to explore his musical capabilities. Today, Ahmed sings for the cause of Sudan and for the plight of the people of Sudan. Whether it is in the Roman Theatre, Alexandria, in Asmara to celebrate Eritrean Independence Day or at the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris, Ahmed lights up the stage.